


Like Real People Do

by HuyanaShadowheart



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Inspired by Hozier's Like Real People Do, Pirate!AU, mermaid!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-07 22:12:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7731676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuyanaShadowheart/pseuds/HuyanaShadowheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody knows that mermaids lure sailors in with their beautiful voice and drag them into the depths of the ocean through a kiss, leading to the poor sailor’s demise. The legends also say that mermaids were doomed to die if they ever fell in love with a human – and the human did not return that love. But what if a mermaid and a pirate captain fell in love? Will their first kiss and their love ruin each other or are the rumours actually true and a kiss of true love can turn a mermaid into a human?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pirate shanties and buried artefacts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaid!reader finds herself intrigued by the appearance of a pirate ship that anchors in a bay close to the one she calls home.

It was not every day that pirates would find their way to the island whose bays you called home. Sure, sailors came by now and then – and sometimes you even snatched one of them out of their little boats if they wanted to go ashore and probably planned to fill up their supplies. _But honestly who goes ashore in the middle of the night?_ For that’s when you caught most of them.

But not pirates, no. You had heeded the warnings of other mermaids, who had always said that pirates weren’t the easiest prey and most of the time they had weapons with them. Sailors were far easier to lure in and drown. You had always observed their ships from afar, listening to the shouts and the songs and watching as they set ashore in small groups, never getting too close to draw attention to yourself.

This time, though, something was different. You found yourself being drawn closer to the big, rather pompous ship with its huge sails and the colourful figurehead. The ship was hung with lanterns, swaying in the gentle roll of waves that broke against the white sand beach, the stars and the moon reflecting in the water. You could hear the men singing on deck, cheering and hollering. They were certainly celebrating something.  

When your curiosity got the better of you, you decided to get a closer look at the ship and maybe you were then able to understand a bit more of the songs the pirates were singing. As you swam closer, you woke up a few fish, who quickly hid from you, afraid they would end up as your next meal if they weren’t careful enough. _I’ll get back to you another time_ , you thought as you ignored the fish, for now.

Now, closer to the ship – you were so close, you could have touched it if you just stretched out your arm – you could finally make out the slurred lyrics of the song that left most of the pirates’ throats. Something about a faraway love, a woman that had stayed behind while the man had gone off to search for adventures, gold and glory and how the man missed her dearly. It was nothing you hadn’t heard before, but you started humming along to the tune anyway.

Hours had passed and you had kept observing the pirates, differing between being so close to the ship – they should have heard you if they only kept quiet for a single moment – and keeping a safe distance. Now, the sun had just started to rise from her slumber and slowly painting the sky in tender shades of pink, violet and light blue.

You had taken a nap in the safe vicinity of some rocks that poked their jagged faces out of the water as you heard the quiet screeching and moaning of rope and hinges as a little boat descended from the ship towards the surface of the sea. A single figure sat in said boat and made his way ashore. You watched as the man pulled the boat up on the beach to stop the tide form washing it away again before he was ready to return to his ship. _What business could one single pirate have on the island?_ You frowned as you decided to use the underwater caves and tunnels, who opened up all over the island in the form of water-filled holes, to follow him and see what he was up to.

The brown haired man kept frantically looking over his shoulder, making it harder for you to stay unnoticed, but somehow you managed to avoid detection. You watched as he dug a small hole with his hands underneath the roots of a big tree and then pulled out a small piece of something wrapped in cloth, put it into the freshly dug hole and pushed the loose earth back over it. When he turned around, you quickly dove down deeper into the water and then followed him as he went back to the beach. What was it, he had buried back in the jungle? And why would he hide it from his shipmates?

The pirate returned to his ship, whose crew had started to wake up and you watched as they set sail and lifted the anchor. On a whim, you decided to follow the pirates, leaving behind the safety of your home and pursuing them to find out more about that man and his buried treasure.


	2. Pistols and late night talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaid!reader followed the pirates to the island New Providence and finds out more about the buried artefact.

It had been several days since you left your home behind and decided to follow the pirate ship that anchored near your home. Maybe it had even been a week. You had lost track of time pretty soon. While you were in pursuit of the pirates, you noticed that the brown haired man, who had buried something on your island, always went on deck shortly before dawn.

He had done the exact same thing this morning and you couldn’t help but wonder about this strange behaviour. Was he doing it out of habit? Or was he trying to cover up the fact that he had snuck off to the jungle and hidden something there?                                                                                                        

As the sun climbed steadily higher into the sky, you were able to make out the silhouette of another island – or at least that of some cliffs – and you thought that maybe, this was the place they called home? Your assumptions were proven right when the sentinel in the crow’s nest shouted “Land, ho!” and the deck erupted into cheers.

It must’ve been way past noon when they arrived in the bay, but the beach and the city behind it were still alive and bustling in the tropical heat as people went about their business. While the ship dropped anchor and the crew let down the little boat that would take them ashore, you eavesdropped on their conversation.

The brunette just climbed down the rope ladder on the side of the ship to get to the remaining crewmates, who waited for him. “Why do you keep getting up so early, Captain? Been doing that for a while now,” one of them asked. The man stopped mid-climb for a second as he obviously thought carefully about what to say next. “Just trying to get away from you snoring lot for a few moments. I like it quiet,” he replied. Apparently he was the Captain of the ship.

“Ah, aye, I thought Madame Eve’s girls said, you liked it rough. Must’ve been mistaken then.” They started chuckling. “It appears, our Captain has a soft spot, guys.” “Shut up, you idiots.” But they all laughed heartily while rowing to the beach.

You watched them for a little while longer, but then decided to find a place to rest, which you did in the form a small underwater cavern at the foot of the cliffs. Still having the pirate captain in your mind, you fell asleep.

–

When you woke up, it was dark outside, maybe close to midnight. You emerged from your shelter and found yourself staring at the full moon that hung big and bright in the night sky. The sea was once again calm and the ships swayed gently in a warm breeze. The wind carried the sounds of the city that still refused to go to sleep completely to your ear.

Wondering, what you should be doing now, your eyes fell on a small boat that departed from the beach, a lone figure sitting in it and rowing. Intrigued, you closed in on the boat and followed it back to a certain ship that had become familiar to you. You realized that it was the pirate captain from before and maybe this was your only chance to get some answers. When he reached the ship, you propped yourself up on the rim of the little boat while he was busy tying it to the bigger ship.

“You know, Captain, someday your men will find out you hid something from them,” you stated plainly. The man whirled around, whipped out his pistol and you both stared at each other in shock for a moment. You hadn’t expected him to draw a weapon and immediately fell silent, your fear apparent on your face. After he realized that you were no threat, he lowered the pistol and sat down closer to you, still not taking his eyes off you.

“I thought, I was crazy to believe somebody was watching me back on that island. You followed me all the way here?” he inquired. You nodded. “You know, it’s strange because I hadn’t seen any other ships or boats back there.” He had no idea of what you were. “Why don’t you come out of the water? Must be freezing to be soaked all the time.”

You shook your head. “I can’t.” “Why not?” And then his eyes widened as he realized. “You’re… a mermaid?” Again, you nodded. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” He smirked at you. You could already see your presence affecting him – as it happened with all men, it was some kind of lure mermaids had to get their prey. “No, I just… never talked to a pirate before. But I bet, you’re a really nice guy. Or should I say _soft_?” You hinted at the fact that you had overheard his earlier conversation with the men.

“Never thought, mermaids were this chatty,” he confessed, his eyes were glazing over, his pupils dilated – a clear sign that you were drawing him in. “What? You thought, all we do is sing and drown people? I really thought more of you, Captain. Thought that hiding something from his own crew must take a lot of bravery and intelligence.” He inched closer to you again, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your lips. “Oh, I am! I am really brave and intelligent. And Captain is not my name. It’s Samuel, Samuel Morgan. But most people call me Sam.”

“Sam,” you whispered, leaning into him a bit, your fingers lightly stroking his cheek and he didn’t notice that your eyes kept looking back to the gun in his hand. “What’s yours? Your name, I mean?” Sam breathed, drinking in your sight. You chuckled lightly. “Y/N,” you answered and he repeated it like a prayer.

“You know, you don’t have to tell your men about whatever it is you buried in my island. But… you could tell me?” you tried to convince him. And he eagerly complied. “It’s some sort of map. That’s supposed to lead us to a really big treasure.” “A map?” You raised an eyebrow. That was definitely not what you had expected. “Yes, but it’s locked, with riddles. And until I’ve unlocked it, I’ve decided to hide it.” He leaned in closer, your lips almost touching. “Thank you, for telling me, Sam,” you whispered and then your hand snapped forward, taking the pistol from his hand and you vanished back into the sea. The spell broke through your disappearance and Sam yelled after you “Wait! You can’t just take my gun!”

But you laughed to yourself as you left the pirate captain by his ship and kidnapped his pistol. You would return it to him at a later time. “God damn it!” he muttered under his breath while climbing up the rope ladder to his ship and wondering if he would ever see you or his favourite gun again.


	3. Unlocked puzzles and tested theories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaid!reader confronts her feelings and Sam tests a theory.

For the past two weeks, you and Sam had met every night and just talked. The first few times he asked about his gun, but you always replied that he would get it back eventually. Sam had told you of his adventures and how he had come into possession of the artefact that he believed to be a map. He and his crew had come upon a Spanish ship, its whole cargo hold filled with gold and jewels. But the most interesting thing was the little gold globe he found in the captain’s quarters. Apart from talking about his adventures, Sam also seemed keen on getting to know you and what you’ve been up to before he entered your life. So you told him everything you knew about mermaids. Which wasn’t much, since you could only speak from your own experience. But he seemed content with what little you could tell him and you could feel yourself growing closer to him.

You were trying to deny the deep connection you felt to the pirate. A connection that had only grown in the last weeks. Maybe, it was because he was funny and he opened his heart to you. Maybe, because he treated you like he would any other human being that had earned his respect and not just like the non-human creature that you actually are. But you could not fight the fact that your feelings for him were growing deeper and stronger than you ever expected.  And it terrified you.

So, when you woke up the next evening, you decided to not only give Sam his gun back, but to also finally confront your feelings. What’s the worst that could happen? Oh, yeah. You could die. But you were willing to risk it. You left the small cave that you called home for now and made your way to your usual spot, where you met up with Sam.

But when you reached the bay of Nassau – Sam had told you that was the name of the city at the beach –, the pirate was nowhere to be found. _Usually he’s here before me._ You kept searching, but you couldn’t find him or the little boat he used to come out onto the water to see you. With your brows tightly knit together, you swam closer to the sandy shore. Maybe he was on his ship? But you couldn’t find it either. _Where have you disappeared to, Captain?_

In your mind, you debated, what you should do now. Should you stay and wait? Surely, he would come back at some point. But what if something happened to him? What if he didn’t come back? Should you just leave and go back home? A feeling of dread washed over you, paralysing you. You shook your head to fight off the worries and the fear. _He’ll be alright. He’s a pirate, for God’s sake._

So you decided to stay. After a few days of avoiding the bay – for your own safety, or at least that’s what you told yourself –, you went back one morning to find Sam’s ship back in the bay. You felt your heart skip a beat and your impulse told you to go find him, immediately. _Get it together, Y/N. He won’t have any time for you now anyway. Just wait till nightfall._

When you went to your meeting point again, he was already waiting. A proud smirk lighting up his face as he spotted you just below the water surface. You could feel mouth stretching into a happy smile as you came up to the surface and ultimately propped yourself up on the side of the boat.

“Well, hello there, beautiful creature of the sea,” Sam still grinned at you. You chuckled lightly. “I missed you, Captain. Where were you off to?” Your smile lightly faded, when you whispered: “I was worried.” “Oh were you?” he countered and when you nodded, he sighed. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you. We got wind of a new prize and the men were eager to get out in the open again. No time to let you know. But, I found something I’d like to test.”

You raised an eyebrow. “And what is that?” He beckoned you to come closer, while leaning forward. “Come ‘ere and I’ll show ya.” There it was again, that stupid smirk of his. Still sceptical, you pulled yourself up and further out of the water. As Sam put a hand on the back of your head and his lips hovered only inches from yours, you finally realized what he was up to. You leaned away from him, shaking your head. “No, Sam. I could kill you.” “So could I.” You sighed, still not willing to give in, though. “Come on, I can’t be the only one who felt this… strange connection between us. What have you got left to lose?”

“Well, we could both die,” you insisted, his hand that had moved from your hair to cheek and was caressing your face, making it hard to concentrate. “So? I’m not afraid of death,” he whispered, moving closer once more. You sighed again, before giving in. His lips were warm and a bit rough, probably thanks to the sea. While his lips moved against yours, you could feel his hands wrapping around your torso to support your body on the edge of the boat. A strange tingling sensation started to spread from your lips through your body. It felt nothing like the usual prickle travelling through your body when you kissed random sailors before you drowned them. Instead the tingling turned into pain as it continued to spread. Searing hot pain that made you break the kiss in a gasp. You heard Sam whisper as if from far away, “I’ve gotcha. Don’t worry, you’ll be alright.” And then everything went black.

When you came back to your senses, you felt strange. You could hear the murmur of the sea while it crashed onto the beach in waves, but the ground you were lying on felt too soft and too dry to be a rock or even the sandy shore. Additionally your tail felt weird, almost as if it were split in two. You opened your eyes, blinking several times before the world came back into focus. You moved your head and saw Sam sitting next to you, fiddling with a golden ball. You tried to sit up, but when he realized you had woken up, he ushered you to lie back down. “Thank god, you’re finally awake. Had me worried there for a while.” You knit your brows in confusion. “What happened? How long–?” Your throat felt sore and your voice was cracking at the end of your words. “You were out for several days. Although you were screaming for most part. As to what happened: I think, I successfully tested a theory.” He smiled down at you and you looked up at him, still confused. “You’re no mermaid anymore, love.” Your eyes widened in shock and you lifted the piece of cloth Sam had covered you with. And indeed, your tail was gone. Replaced by two legs. You wiggled your toes experimentally, before you let the cloth fall back into place and your face turned a bright red.

You were completely naked. Sam saw your expression change and chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. And,“ he got up to get the golden globe from the chair he had sat in a few moments ago, “I finally solved the puzzle. It’s a map, as I thought. Watch.” He sat back next to you on the edge of the bed and pressed some buttons on the ball. You watched, mesmerized, as the top half of it split up into several sections and the folded outwards like a metal flower to reveal a piece of paper. “Where does it lead?” you asked, curiosity making your voice shake with anticipation.

“I don’t know, actually. Some unnamed island off the coast of Panama. But, before we can head out to search it–“ You interrupted him, “We?” Sam nodded. “Of course, you’re coming with me. But first you need to learn how to walk!” He then put his arms under your armpits, drawing your body close to him, before standing up and setting you down on the floor. His arms still thrown around your body, he smiled down at you. “So, whatcha say? Want to come with me and sail the seven seas in search for treasure and glory?” You laughed at his words, but then nodded. “Aye aye, Captain.” He leaned down to press a chaste kiss on your lips and you smiled. Who would’ve thought that following a mysterious pirate from your home would lead to this kind of an adventure?

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably a 2-3 chapter work, we'll see...


End file.
